Adrenal adenoma in a cross-bred terrier

An adrenal tumour was diagnosed in a 12-year-old female cross-bred terrier. The dog was presented to the veterinary clinic because she had been gaining weight and had started urinating in the owners' house. Clinical findings included obesity, abdominal enlargement, thinning of the hair coat, seborrhoea sicca, and polydipsia and polyuria. The diagnosis was made by clinical pathology, endocrine function tests and abdominal radiography. Surgical removal of the neoplastic right adrenal gland resulted in resolution of the clinical signs, including regrowth of the hair coat.     

Guidelines for euthanasia of domestic animals by firearms

All animals that are to be killed, whether for food, for humane reasons, or because they are homeless, must receive a quick and painless death. In some smaller communities, veterinary or humane society expertise may not be readily available to humanely kill stray and unwanted animals. An alternative that provides for a humane death for the animal is by shooting. The following guidelines are intended to assist persons who must perform this usually distasteful task; they contain recommended techniques that will help to ensure that any animals killed by shooting will die in a humane way.     

A review of the experimental use of antimicrobial agents in the treatment of periodontitis and gingivitis in the dog

Tetracycline, metronidazole, and chlorhexidine have been tested for their effectiveness in the treatment of periodontitis in dogs under experimental conditions. Tetracycline has been effective in reducing bone resorption in dogs with periodontitis when used in the long-term. When used for short times, it can result in reduction of the numbers of microorganisms that are associated with disease. Tetracycline can inhibit the activity of mammalian collagenase thought responsible for the destruction of alveolar bone and it may be capable of inhibiting the adherence of microorganisms and thus preventing infection. In some experiments, metronidazole was more effective than tetracycline in eliminating spirochetes from the periodontal flora, and it has been found effective in preventing the inflammation and the development of the bacterial flora usually associated with the natural accumulation of plaque. Chlorhexidine (0.2% aqueous solution) has been found effective in preventing the normal progression of periodontal disease when used as a spray for the long-term treatment of dogs. It could prove to be as effective as brushing for the long-term control of periodontitis in the dog. Limited information is available on the use of clindamycin, spiramycin, and vancomycin.     

Feline struvite crystalluria: a comparison of some commercially available dry cat diets in New Zealand

Thirteen adult cats were each fed consecutively five test diets: firstly a complete canned diet, and then four commercially available dry cat diets (New Formula Biscats, Cat Chow, Go-Cat and Whiskettes) for 7,13, 5, 4 and 4 weeks respectively. Urine samples were tested for pH and presence of struvite crystals. Body weight was recorded weekly. Urine pH was ranked from acid to alkaline as follows: Whiskettes (pH 5.8), canned diet (pH 5.9), Biscats (pH 6.1), Cat Chow (pH 6.45) and Go-Cat (pH 6.5). The pH of urine when cats were fed Whiskettes, Biscats and canned diet was not significantly different. Biscats produced a urine pH significantly higher than Whiskettes but, in each case, these three diets produced a significantly lower urine pH than Cat Chow and Go-Cat. Struvite crystals occurred spontaneously in 9% of urine samples from cats when fed Whiskettes and Biscats, 71% when fed Cat Chow and 38% when fed Go-Cat: spontaneous struvite was not seen in any cat fed CX9. Haematuria was seen in 2.9% (2/69) urine samples from cats fed Cat Chow. One tom cat had a blocked urethra after 24 days on Go-Cat. No abnormalities were observed in any cat when fed canned diet, Biscats or Whiskettes. It was concluded that of the four dry cat diets tested only Biscats and Whiskettes produce urine with an acceptably low rate of spontaneous struvite crystalluria.